Shoot Cameras Not Guns: Second Annual Beers for Burma Event

Denver based nonprofit, Shoot Cameras Not Guns, made its debut on the Thailand/Burma border nearly eight years ago. Focusing on the education of photography through classes, technical training and hands-on involvement is the organizations forte, and providing these skills to refugees and journalists-in-exile is the heart of the operation.

From 2006-2012, Executive Director, Diana Sabreen, taught photography classes to at-risk students from both Denver and Kenya. Feeling the urge to spread their knowledge and wealth with those in Burma once again, Sabreen and partner, Ian Bates, created Beers for Burma, an event to raise awareness to the needs and struggles over seas. Sabreen was ecstatic to see the success of the first event and the awareness it created.

“Creating a celebratory experience was a great way to expose people to what we do and expose them to new knowledge about Burma.”

Beers For Burma

This year’s event will be held on April 26th at the Helikon Gallery in Denver. The art being showcased is an exhibit essentially created by Burmese students, entitled, “Breaking Free.” The photographs are set to raise awareness and dialogue in regards to the current events and historical feats made by the Burmese Government.

With your support, Shoot Cameras Not Guns is hoping to fund the 2014 programming for the nonprofit. This includes photography workshops for Burmese refugees in Denver, workshops for at-risk youth in Denver, and a return to Burma to follow up with more advanced workshops for the students.

At this year’s event, you’ll be in the company of aerial and circus style acrobatics from Boulder’s Fractal Tribe, craft brews and live music from Denver musicians, including, hip-hop and spoken word artist, Molina Speaks and funky soul artist, Boomstick.

A pretty prodigious event to witness will be the live Skype session of a student in Burma. This will be an eye-opening event that you don’t want to miss. “We have so many opportunities in this country, yet so many people choose not to take advantage of that. We want to awaken people to their own creativities and abilities.”

Student Photo

Join the party on this Saturday, April 26th at Helikon Gallery in Denver. Tickets range from $15 – $100 depending on your purchase. Please visit the Beers for Burma Facebook Page for more information.

About The Author

Jackie has a passion for old and dusty, often wrapped up in The Doors, James Taylor and Gram Parsons. You can find her at your local thrift shop digging for early vinyl and trying to locate her inner flower child. When she’s not buried in her record room, she’s downward dogging it on her yoga mat and rewarding herself with the best $10 wines. Her child’s named after Marshall Tucker Band, her roots are in the deep South and her soul wanders vastly. See what she’s up to today at http://jackieboeheim.com/